Toy



April 20, 1948.

' A. H. LAIDIG TOY Filed Oct. 7, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 5'. /7. 45/0/65 ATTORNEY April 20, 1948. A. H. LAIDIG TOY Filed Oct. 7, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR /9- H. L/Y/D/G B W 5 X ATTORNEY April 1948.

TOY

Filed Oct; 7, 1944 3 sheets s 3 INVENTOR A H /1716 M %?2 J 4 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE Alfred Hsflaid ige Bloomfield N. J; assign-onto J oseph. Reich, Brooklyn, N. Y; J

Application ctober'7, 1944, -SeriaI No; 557334 (01. id-F195) 9 Claims. 1 v

This" invention. relates :to toys, and: more pare ticularly to percussive toys" utilizing: a bursting memhrane for explosive-soundproduction,

An object of-xthe present'inventionis $0 1311).- vide an: improved: and more desirabletoy. of :the character indicated.

Anotherob-ject of the invention is toprovi-de improved means: for mounting and feeding the Inembranea Another object of the invention l is to improve upon the sealing and grip 'meansbywvhichthe explosive or bursting pressure: is confined. at the membrane;

Still another obj ect of the invention is to in corporate the membraneroll within the handle or gun stock and to confine the'p'ellets burst from the membrane in use;

Still another object ofthe invention is to util ize a plunger housing'whic-h-is slidable both for compressing the piston-actuating spring and for effecting the sealing with I respect to the membrane.

Again, an object of the invention "is to provide improved oocki-ng and tripping mechanism.

Yet again; an objector the'invent-ion is to produce spark ejection from atoy gunnba'rrel as the percussive sound is produced.-

Many other objects will appear to tho'se. skilled in the art to which the invention-appertains: as thedescription proeeeds,--looth by d-ir'eot recitation-thereof and by implication from the context. While the invention "as hereinillustrated de plots a toy simulating a pistol, and the description; for brevity and clarity; makes '--particnlar' reference-to the structure asemlo od-ie'd-in asi'mu' lated pistol, it is to be understood that in so'doing the invention is not to be understood as'oonfinerlthereto; but-is applicable to'many other-forms of containinghousings.

Referring, then, to the specific showing selected for illustrating the invention;

Fignrel is a p'erspectivev-iew'of a toy-simulating a pistol and embodyingthe' present-invention;

Figure 2 is a perspectiveview-'of the-various parts which are housed" in the pistol barrel but shown removed therefrom;

Figurehis a-sectional'viewof the toy oniaplan'e longitudinaloi th'e'barrel and of the pistol stools or .handle; 7

Figures .4, 5; .6 and?! are sectional ViBWIS 'UIl lines IV' -IV, V-V', VI- -VI, and VIIJ.VI1 respectively of5Fig. 3;

Figures 8 andi9'are'views-simila'r te Fig.3. but

showing the operating parts indifferent positions of use; and

Figure-r10 is'a perspective view of the magazine and membrane feeding means.

In; the: specific embodiment of 1 the invention illustrated? in-said :drawings, the :reference nume eral' l5 designateslthe :toy. housing in general which is inia'torm in ,the'present disclosure simiue latingia pistol havingla barrel it andwdepending handle or stock Ir! :at thezreanend portioniof 1 the barrel..- FOE convenience: of. manufacturer said housing a is preferably formed from similarrlsece tionsi juxtaposedion'a middle plane-through the barrel andirstook; :said' sections;- being provided with suitable rearsiand. rivets for holdingithezsece tionsztogether as. commonly: employed; in! c'ona struction wotxsh'e'et metfi or hollow: toys. The membranesburstin'g mechanism, the greater part of whic'h'is shown alone inI-igure 2, is contained within' th'e" barrel lit; butrwithzan vactuatin'glarm" depending: into. thexstock,v andathe: magazine;

shown alone-in Figurei-O, iscontained; withinithe stock; but with an upper end of the; membrane track extending into the barrel; 1

Description ofl theimembranesbua'sting mechanismwill begivenzfirst. 7 It includes a; reciprocat ingl member; for. brevity: termed. reciprocator 18; which" is slidable inzthe:pistolxbarreli AsfshOWIl; the siaidreciprocator is a sheet-metalistamping: having a body portion fonn'edini'cylindrioal shape and having =in the-rearward partithereof a cylinder or: seamless tube 1 9. within which air pressure is to: be crea'ted for bursting a membrane ZHC'onst-itrlting the nammunitiom which is pref er'ahly a roll: of paper the outer convolution of which unr'olls andzfeed longitudinally upwardly through thebarrel across: the" path of rearwa-rd movement of thesaid reciprocator in use: B'y' utili-zinr'; a barrel' which is, for instance, hex: agonal cross section'y the cylindricalpart of the reciprocator may have-line contact withi the barrel and be guided thereby and be'rea-dily slid-- able therein; Said reciprocatoris preventedfromrot'ation and kept alignedpby having wings 2| bent laterally. therefrom and. projecting through slots ZEiinH-theside of the. barrel. The

tube orpressure cylinder l9 projects from-the rear end of. the reciprocator and provides a shoulder 23 thereat: for preventing displacement:

At the forward end of the body of the reciprocator is provided a bar 28 projecting toward the front or muzzle end of the barrel within the'same. This bar is offset at its forward portion to be somewhat closer to the barrel axis than the cylindrical wall of the body, and at said forward, 4

portion said bar has a forwardly and upwardly sloping upper edge constituting a cam 3 for piston-releasing purposes as will appear herein below.

Within pressure cylinder or tube I9 is a piston 30 the periphery whereof has sliding but substantially airtight contact with the wall of said cylinder. From the forward face of said piston there projects a piston rod or bar 3| which extends at least as-far forward as the bar 28 from the cylinder and preferably is in substantially sliding facial engagement with the cam-forming end portion of said bar 28, At a properly related position, the upper edge of the said piston bar 3i is provided with a notch 32. A latch 33 lies across both bars so that one part thereof may enter said notch 32 of bar 3| and an adjacent part may ride on the top of the other bar 28 and on cam 29. Said cam 29 acts to raise the latch thereby lifting the latch from the notch of the piston rod and thereby releasing the piston to snap rearwardly under impetus of a coil spring 34 shown in the reciprocator cylindrical housing and bearing against a forward wall 35 of said housing and against the piston 33 at opposite ends of said spring. This tripping of the latch occurswhen the piston and its rod are at their most forward position and the reciprocator and its rod are at their most rearward position and the spring under maximum compression.

Said latch has a forwardly extending arm within the barrel, said arm being trunnioned upon a pivot pin or shaft 36 transversely across the interior of the barrel and carried by the said walls thereof. The forward end of the piston rod or bar extends beneath and beyond said shaft 33 and is shown as constituting a toothed rack 31 thereat to mesh with teeth of a pinion 38 carried on said shaft. Next pinion 33 and secured with respect thereto is a friction wheel 39 having a peripheral scratch surface. Against said surface is located a flint or other spark-producing means 43 held th'ereagainst by a wire spring 4| which is shown projecting upwardly through a hole in the top of the barrel, shaped to constitute a forward sight, and mounted with a loop upon one of the rivets holding the housing sections together. The rear end of said wire spring 4! reenters the barrel through another hole and bears upon the top of latch 33 for holding it depressed and seated in its notch until positively removed by the cam. Rotation of the friction wheel is in a direction which ejects the sparks forwardly from the muzzle when the piston snaps rearwardly rapidly upon release of the latch.

The magazine, shown in Figures 3, 4 and more particularly, is an enclosure and guide with- 4 in the stock Said magazine is mounted on the rear edge wall of the stock I! within the stock and has an opening 42 through the said rear edge wall of the stock for introduction of a roll 43 of ammunition, which, as indicated above, is a rolled membrane strip, and may be paper of desired quality. The opening 42 has a pivoted cover plate 44 and appropriate catch to retain the roll within the magazine. The magazine is provided with flat side walls and a curved edge wall within the stock thus forming a complete pocket for the ammunition roll. Next the rear wall of the stock,

"said magazine provides an extension wall 45 the upper end of which traverses the barrel and is shaped thereat to form a fixed partition 46 in the barrel and constituting the breech thereof. Along the inner or forward face of extension wall 45 are overlying longitudinal guides 41 which receive and guide the edges of the unrolled last convolution of the ammunition roll to carry the same upwardly across partition or breech 46 and out through a top opening 48 in the barrel.

Feeding of the ammunition membrane upwardly along said extension wall and across the breech, is accomplished by a pusher 49 operated from the trigger or finger-grip 50. As shown, said trigger is of channel formation with the lower side wall portions adapted to enter in space provided between the side walls of the stock and side walls of the magazine. The upper end of said trigger is pivoted on a transverse pin 5|, and may thus be squeezed by the user to swing into the stock when firing the pistol. Bent laterally from one channel wall of the trigger into the space between the channel walls, is a transverse bracket 52 to which is secured the lower end of aforementioned pusher 49, and preferably said pusher is of flat resilient metalwith ammunition-engaging prongs 53v at its upper end so proportioned, arranged and adapted that as the trigger is drawn inward the upper end of the pusher engages against the strip of ammunition and pushes it upward toward the breech an appropriate distance. The extension or ammunition-guiding wall may be longitudinally grooved, as at 54, to permit the prongs to pierce the ammunition near its edges and thus give accomodation to the points of the prongs to keep them clear of the metal of said guide wall. V

The trigger is also connected below its pivot by a link 55 to a depending arm 56 on the reciprocator, said link having a pivot connection 51 with the trigger and a pivot connection 58 with the said arm so that pulling back on the trigger moves the reciprocator rearward and until the washer or cushion 26 engages and seals against the membrane and breech, A spring 59 from the trigger pivot to the said arm 56 tends to move the arm and reciprocator as well as the trigger through link connection 55 back to forward position when released.

Through the center of the breech, so as to register with the hole through the washer or cushion on the end of the cylinder, is a hole 60. Air pressure in the cylinder suddenly created by release of latch 33 and spring 34 and consequent forcing of the piston rearward, bursts the ammunition membrane 29 in front of the breech hole 60, giving the desired explosive sound. The pellet from the membrane may pass through the breech hole and becaught in the rear cavity 6| in the barrel behind the breech. A rear plug 62 at the rear end of the barrel appropriately threaded, is riemgvable for discharging the pellets when de- 5 re w I claim:

l. A percussive toy comprising a fixed breech having a hole therein, means for feeding a burstable membrane across said breech over said hole, a reciprocator movable toward said breech and adapted to seal against the same around said hole with said membrane interposed, and means movable in said reciprocator for creating air pressure therein for burstin said membrane.

2. A percussive toy comprising a fixed breech having a hole therein, means for feeding a burstable membrane across said breech over said hole, a reciprocator having a cylinder opposed to said breech and movable toward the same and having a cushioned end engageable against said membrane around the hole in said breech, a springloaded piston in said cylinder and the spring of which is compressed by movement of said reciprocator toward the breech, and means for releasing the piston after said reciprocator seals against said membrane,

3. A percussive toy comprising a housing, a reciprocator slidable in said housing, a piston slidable in said reciprocator, a fixed breech Wall in the housing against which the reciprocator is limited in rearward sliding movement, a latch holding the piston from sliding while said reciprocator slides rearward toward said wall, a spring compressed between the reciprocator and piston as the reciprocator is slid rearward, and means releasing said latch from holding said piston substantially simultaneously with engagement of the reciprocator with the breech wall.

l. A percussive toy comprising a housing, a reciprocator slidable in said housing, said reciprocator having a pressure cylinder as part thereof, a piston slidable in said cylinder, a fixed breech wall in the housing against which the reciprocator is limited in rearward sliding movement, a latch holdin the piston from sliding rearward while said reciprocator slides rearward toward said wall, a spring compressed between the reciprocator and piston as the reciprocator is slid rearward, and means releasing said latch from holding said piston substantially simultaneously with engagement of the reciprocator with the breech wall and thereby creating air pressure in said cylinder by spring-actuated rearward movement of said piston in the cylinder.

5. A percussive toy comprising a housing, a reciprocator slidable in said housing, said reciprocator having a pressure cylinder as part thereof, a piston slidable in said cylinder, at fixed breech wall in the housing against which the reciprocator is limited in rearward sliding movement, means for sliding said reciprocator rearwardly, a latch holding the piston from slidin rearward while said reciprocator slides rearward toward said wall, a spring compressed between the reciprocator and piston as the reciprocator is slid rearward, means releasing said latch from holding said piston substantially simultaneously with engagement of the reciprocator with the breech wall and thereby creating air pressure in said cylinder by spring-actuated rearward movement of said piston in the cylinder, and means for returning the reciprocator and piston to forward position.

6. A percussive toy comprising a housing, a reciprocator slidable in said housing, said reciprocator having a pressure cylinder as part thereof, a piston slidable in said cylinder, a fixed breech wall in the housing against which the reciprocator is limited in rearward sliding movement, a latch holding the piston from sliding rearward while said reciprocator slides rearward toward said wall, a trigger connected to said reciprocator for sliding said reciprocator rearwardly, a spring compressed between the reciprocator and piston as the reciprocator is slid rearward, means releasing said latch from holding said piston substantially simultaneously with engagement of the reciprocator with the breech wall and thereby creating air pressure in said cylinder by springactuated rearward movement of said piston in the cylinder, and means for returning the reciprocator and piston to forward position.

'7. A percussive toy comprising a barrel and stock, a reciprocator in the barrel, a breech in said barrel, a magazine in the stock, means for feeding ammunition from the magazine to the breech, a piston for applying air pressure to and for bursting the ammunition at the breech, and trigger for feeding the ammunition and for sliding said reciprocator into engagement with the ammunition at the breech and a latch for releasing said piston to apply bursting pressure to the ammunition.

8. A percussive toy comprising a barrel having a muzzle at one end and a stock at the other end, a pressure cylinder in the barrel, a breech in the barrel, means for feeding a burstable membrane to said breech, a releasable and spring-loaded piston in the pressure cylinder for applying bursting pressure to said membrane, a piston rod in said cylinder and barrel extending toward the muzzle from said piston and fixed to the piston and sparking mechanism within said muzzle, said piston rod and sparking mechanism having connection in the muzzle remote from the piston for operating said mechanism from the piston rod and thereby ejecting sparks from the barrel substantially simultaneously with applying bursting pressure to the membrane.

9. A percussive toy having an air pressure cylinder and an opposed wall having an opening therein, said cylinder having means at its end for sealing against said wall and around said opening, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod having a notch outside said cylinder, a latch engageable in said notch, a cam fixed to and movable with said cylinder and adjacent said piston rod constructed and arranged to lift the latch from said notch substantially as the sealing means engages the said Wall, and a spring behind the piston for forcing the same toward said wall upon release of said latch from the notch.

ALFRED H. LAIDIG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Y UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date r 2,168,454 Smith Aug. 8, 1939 2,226,144 Smith Dec. 24, 1,940 

